When shooting firearms, especially in stressful situations, it is important that the firearm be maintained in a steady, stable position to insure accuracy of aim. Most shooters are not able to hold a firearm consistently in a set position without wavering, especially after the onset of fatigue resulting from strain on the shooter due to the size and weight of the firearm. Accordingly, peripheral support devices have long been used with firearms as a means of stabilizing them to reduce vibration, wavering, etc., and to improve accuracy.
In the past, shooters have used everything from large stationary objects such as rocks and tree branches to forked sticks, shooting slings, bipods and tripods. Early bipod and tripod supports typically were somewhat crude stands that generally were bulky, inconvenient and difficult to use and typically were not easily adjustable. In more recent times, bipod supports have been developed that are compact and relatively lightweight and are mountable to the forearm stock of a firearm, such as a rifle, to make the bipod portable with the firearm. Most conventional bipod supports include a pair of legs that can be pivoted from an up position, adjacent the firearm stock, to a down position engaging a support surface, with the legs also being extensible to adjust the height of the support.
Problems sometimes noted with conventional bipods include stability and the ability of the bipod to mount to most firearms without requiring the use of special mounting tools. Machining or modification of the firearm stock to accommodate the bipod is undesirable, for most users. Additionally, most supports are not designed for quick and easy attachment and release from the firearm stock.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,678 discloses a bipod assembly that includes legs that are pivotable independently of one another for ease of adjustment, but which does not solve the stability problem and is not easily attached and detached from the firearm. Other types of conventional bipods offer varying types of mountings that can be fitted to various types of rifles without requiring modification or machining of the rifle stock. For example, Harris Engineering, Inc. manufactures a series of bipod mounts for use with a variety of different firearms. However, these bipod mounts do not enable quickly releasing an attached support from the firearm.
One of the most popular bipods on the market has been the Parker-Hale bipod assembly. This bipod assembly includes a pair of telescoping legs attached to a mounting frame, and a mounting block for mounting the bipod to the firearm. The mounting block of this device is releasably attached to the mounting frame of the bipod assembly to enable quick attachment and release of the legs of the bipod from the firearm. The problem with the Parker-Hale bipod is that to mount the bipod assembly to a firearm, the forearm stock of the firearm generally must be modified to mount a track or slide therein, along which the mounting block is received to mount the bipod to the firearm. Such a modification generally is expensive, often must be done by a specialty gunsmith, and if not done with great care, can mar the finish of the firearm.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a mounting device for selectively attaching an accessory such as a support attachment to a firearm, as when the shooter may desire to have a stable support for precision aiming. Ideally, the mounting device should not require extensive modification of the firearm, such as machining of the forearm stock of the firearm, and preferably should also enable quick and easy attachment and detachment of the accessory to the firearm. The mounting device should enable the connection of a support attachment to the firearm that will minimize the risks associated with instability such as falling or a leaning moment of inertia, as can occur when a rifle barrel incorporates a bottom mount that is used to support a bipod assembly.